


Don't ever let go

by hoosonja



Category: Ylvis
Genre: Accident, Adulthood, Childhood, Fluff, Memories, Time - Freeform, teenage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-04
Updated: 2015-11-04
Packaged: 2018-04-30 01:20:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5145005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoosonja/pseuds/hoosonja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something has happened to Vegard and he keeps slipping back to his memories instead of waking up</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't ever let go

****

> A flurry of emotions ran through Vegard’s head. He tried to get a grip on what was happening, but every time the reality was about to break through to his head, he kept getting flashes of days gone by. He desperately fought to stay in the present, but in vain. It was like trying to catch a fish with his bare hands, so close but still it slipped away too easily.

Bård was so tiny he could barely walk, but he insistently teetered toward Vegard with a nearly toothless huge smile on his plump little face. When he was just about to reach him, he suddenly tripped on something and began to wail pitifully. Vegard ran to him and picked him up, hugging him.

«It’s okay, don’t cry.»

Slowly Bård’s tears stopped falling and his keening turned into a mere hiccup. Vegard held him at an arm’s length from his face. 

«See? It’s all good now, I’ll take care of you,» he promised and Bård smiled again.

****

> Vegard felt frozen. What is happening to me? He wondered. He tried to feel around his body, to make some sense of his whereabouts. All he could make out was the terrible, bitter, numbing cold. His mind whisked him away again, away from real life, to a time he was in his teens.

The air was sweet with the smell of roses. It was so hot that the t-shirt Vegard was wearing got stuck to his skin. He bounced up and down, bumping into Bård, and they were both giggling hard. Their younger brother and cousins had to scoot up to the side of the bouncy castle in order not to get trampled on by the teenagers' bigger bodies. Bård and Vegard slid closer together in the small castle and finally they hit their skulls against each other, resulting in teary eyes and blinding headaches.

Their mother came to fetch them and scolded them all the way to the master bedroom. She told them to lay down on the large bed and she pulled the blinds to keep out the sun. She gave them each a bag of frozen peas for the big lumps on their heads and said they’d have to lay quietly for a while, the headaches would subside eventually.

«When are you two going to grow up?» she sighed when she closed the door. 

Despite feeling lousy, the boys kept making each other laugh, just because it made them feel better – and also worse.

****

> Vegard smiled to himself at the memory and realised his head was killing him now too. What was it that made it pound so?

Vegard remembered the time when Bård got his first solo song in a school play. He tended to be so busy during the day with school and rehearsals that it usually was pretty late before he got a chance to practice his song. Vegard had always had a hard time falling asleep and since his schooldays were longer than Bård’s, he usually went to bed earlier than he did, but it was almost impossible to get to sleep with Bård singing behind the thin wall. 

With a sigh Vegard got up from his bed and went to Bård’s room. There Bård stood, wearing nothing but long johns on his thin frame and belting away. 

«Do you mind? Some of us are trying to get some sleep here,» Vegard complained.

«Can you help me with this please, there's this one bit that I can’t seem to get right and you know I suck at reading musical notation,» Bård whined.

«Fine,» Vegard sighed with resignation, but still secretly pleased that Bård had asked for his help in particular, their parents could read notes just fine, after all. 

He looked at the papers Bård held out to him and spotted the place Bård kept missing. 

«Here it is, look, you need to...» he said and sung the correct notes.

Bård immediately caught on and said: «Of course, I don't get how I missed that!» and shot Vegard a grateful grin. «While you’re here, would you mind practising my duet with me too? You can be the girl,» he said and batted his eyelashes at Vegard. 

Vegard punched his shoulder and called him an idiot, but agreed all the same and soon their voices soared in a sweet harmony.

****

> The song echoed in Vegard’s ears, but it turned into a tinny noise soon. He tried to shake his head to clear away the sound, but it hurt to move it. Ow, what the hell, he thought before he drifted away again.

There was dancing in Vegard’s school play, but he unfortunately had two left feet. The dance had been a last-minute addition to the play and despite Vegard’s resounding protests, it had been included. He complained about it to Bård and he promised Vegard he would teach him all he needed to know, even when there was only three weeks until the opening night. 

«I’ll come to your next rehearsals and take notes when the choreographer explains the dance,» Bård promised. 

«You’d do that for me?» Vegard asked.

«Of course, I'm just glad I can teach something to _you_ for a change,» Bård grinned.

He had done as he had promised, he had sat in the audience and kept an eye on the instructions, scribbling down something. At home he managed to find the song that was needed on a cd and then showed the moves to Vegard.

«You’re kidding, right? There's no way in hell I’ll learn _that_ in time!»

«Not only will you learn, you will learn it well,» Bård said confidently.

«If you say so,» Vegard said sceptically.

But Bård kept his promise and tirelessly drilled the dance into Vegard every single night for the remaining three weeks they had left.

«There you go, you’ve got it,» Bård had beamed at him the night before the show.

«But what if I trip or something?»

«You won’t, don’t be silly! You’ll get up there tomorrow and you’ll blow their minds!»

And when Vegard got up to the stage, his movements were smooth and effortless, just like they had become when he had danced together with Bård in the living room of their home the previous evening. The local paper had even given his dance a special mention when they graded the play.

****

> Vegard tried to move his legs, but it was hard, like he was swimming in a pool filled with molasses. He tried opening his eyes, but couldn’t, his lids felt too heavy. His throat hurt too. Just like it had that one time, the day before the opening night of Hotel Nutsefjord.

«Help!» Vegard croaked to Bård. «I think my voice is gone.»

«Fuck!» Bård said emphatically. «Have you tried drinking tea or something?» he asked, trying desperately to come up with anything to help Vegard.

«Duh, I just got up,» Vegard said, not missing the chance for a sarcastic remark.

«Wait. Just go back to bed and I’ll call grandma. I’m positive she can think of something,» Bård said, his worried face lightening up.

Vegard snuggled back under his covers, while Bård went downstairs to place the call. After a while he came back with a smelly concoction, which he offered to Vegard.

«She gave me the recipe, and she swears this is the way to get your voice back. She should know, she’s been a singer all her life,» Bård said.

«But it smells so bad! What’s in it?» Vegard asked, eyeing the mug suspiciously.

«You don’t want to know, trust me,» Bård answered, scrunching his nose. «But I promise it's nothing dangerous. Just please eat it and you’ll get better, I promise. Hold your nose if you have to.»

Vegard closed his eyes and held his nose while spooning the mass into his mouth. It felt lumpy and sticky and disgusting going down, and he tried his best not to gag.

«Now you need to stay under the covers and I’ll warm a baggie of wheat for your neck,» Bård ordered and returned to the kitchen downstairs. Vegard could hear the microwave oven whirring and then announcing with a bling that it was done. Soon after Bård came back and gently placed the warm baggie on his brother’s throat.

«Just stay there and don’t talk, that’s what is important. I need to go to school now, but you promise to keep warm, ok?» Bård pleaded.

Vegard only nodded, he wasn’t allowed to talk after all. It was so boring to remain in bed all day and after a while it got uncomfortably hot there too. But he persevered and when Bård came home, he was still tucked in.

«Good job,» Bård grinned when he saw Vegard. «Now you need to go take a hot shower, as warm as you can tolerate.»

Vegard lifted his eyebrows quizzically.

«Both for your hair, which looks disgusting, by the way, and your voice. Grandma said the steam will do you good.»

Vegard flipped Bård the bird, but stayed silent, padding to the bathroom barefooted. It felt good to breathe in the moisture and he tentatively tried saying his name.

«Vegard,» and to his great surprise the hoarseness was almost completely gone.

****

> He still heard his name said out loud, but it wasn’t he who said it. There was a sense of urgency in the voice, but it was gone again almost as soon as he had heard it.

Vegard felt almost giddy, seeing the hometown getting closer. The numbers on the road signs saying Bergen kept getting smaller and he could imagine being able to go home again, not just for brief visits, but for good. His whole family would be there to greet him, and Bård would be there, most important of all. It had been both good and terrible being away from him for so long. Good in the sense that they had a chance to figure out stuff all on their own, which they usually did together. The closeness they had had also made the separation so hard. It was kind of like having a phantom limb after an amputation, Vegard imagined. You had an itch you wanted to scratch, but the itchy bit just wasn’t there. He had become so accustomed to using Bård as a sounding board that it had been a real struggle to get along without him. He wondered how it had been for him.

The bus carrying Vegard turned toward Fana. 

«What if he doesn’t need me anymore?» Vegard asked himself silently as the bus stopped.

He got out and swung his backbag on his shoulder. It felt weird to wear his regular clothes again. When he opened the front door of his parents' house, his mother was in the kitchen.

Upon hearing Vegard’s footsteps, she turned and squeaked «My baby!» and ran to hug him.

When Vegard’s dad and youngest brother heard her exclamation, they came hurriedly to greet him. Vegard looked around searchingly.

«He went shopping for something,» his mother said. «I’m sure he’s going to be back soon.»

Less than ten minutes later Bård barged in through the door, his cheeks pink from the cool air outside. Without even bothering to take his coat off, he practically threw himself on Vegard and hugged him tight.

“I wanted to get you your favorite candy before you got home,” Bård said and rustled a bag of Smash teasingly behind Vegard’s back.

Vegard absently noted that Bård had grown since they’d seen last, he was now a bit taller than he was himself.

«I missed you,» they both whispered in unison and then burst into giggles, letting go of the hug.

They punched each other on the shoulder almost simultaneously, Bård saying «nerd!» and Vegard «asshole!» 

****

> Vegard felt his shoulder hurt, so much that there was almost a burning sensation. He tried changing his position, but to no avail. It was as if he was tied to something.
> 
> «Vegard!» an insistent voice called him. «Don’t you dare do that again!» while his brother’s gruff voice said «The hell he will!» and then there was a pain in his chest, like someone had hit him really hard and he could hear a high-pitched whining sound. Just like the tone on tv when the programs had ended and there was nothing but static on the screen.

Vegard stretched himself and brushed against the form that was snuggled against his side on the sofa. It was a rare occasion that he was watching tv with his brother into the wee hours of the night. It was something they had used to do a lot more when they had been younger, but now, in their early adulthood, they were just too busy to do it anymore, life had gotten in the way. Bård had his girlfriend and young daughter, Vegard had his girlfriend, and together they had their career in the entertainment business. Vegard looked at the empty pizza box on the table and at his brother, curled up by his side, making little snoring sounds.

> Suddenly Vegard realised the sounds were coming from himself, as he struggled to breathe.
> 
> «Breathe, just please breathe Vegard,» his brother’s voice pleaded as everything faded to black again.

There didn’t seem to be enough space as Bård and Vegard both tried to see their faces in the dressing room mirror. They slathered on stage make-up and tried their best to make it even. When they felt they were ready, they faced each other and burst out in laughter. Neither had done a particularly good job with getting an even layer and they decided it would be better for everyone if they just cleaned it off and put the make-up on each other. 

Vegard did Bård’s face first and meticulously spread the paste and made sure the edges looked soft. Bård nodded his approval and worked on Vegard’s face next. He did a quicker job of it, and it felt nice when the soft powder puff slid on his face when Bård put on the finishing touches. Vegard looked at his face from several angles and found no reason to complain.

«Look, let me...» Bård said and ran some heavy-duty moisturizer on Vegard’s lips with his forefinger. «I could see your lips chapping already.»

«Thanks,» Vegard said.

«Uh-uh, don’t go licking them now,» Bård warned when he saw Vegard’s tongue peeking out from between his lips.

«Uh, sorry, a force of habit, I guess,» Vegard grinned apologetically.

****

> But his mouth still felt terribly dry and his lips were so badly cracked. He opened his mouth with a smacking sound and tried to wet his lips, but there seemed to be something there, blocking his reach. He felt around with his tongue. He tried to say something, but a tube stopped his words and only a croak left his lips.
> 
> «Vegard!» his brother exclaimed. «Please stay with me now,» he begged.
> 
> Vegard moaned and tried to reach his mouth with his hand, but in vain. The emptiness was still so close and sucked him back into the void.

Vegard sat on a sofa, under bright lights, his brother’s intense gaze glued to his lips as he spoke. 

«And the show is going to be awesome, we’re making it like they do in the big world, we have a house band, skits, music videos and interesting guests. It will be unlike anything that’s ever been on Norwegian television,» Vegard concluded. 

«Thank you for visiting,» the host said. «That’s all for tonight, we’ll be back same time next week,» she said and started taking off her earbuds and the microphone as the closing credits rolled on the autocue.

«That went well, don’t you think?» Vegard asked Bård.

The younger man shrugged.

«I guess,» he said.

«What was wrong with it in your opinion then?»

«Umm, it was a bit long-winded for my taste,» Bård said.

«Aren’t I always?» Vegard huffed. «Do you really have to put me down so much every time?» he asked in an irritated tone. 

«I don’t put you down, I was just answering your question, you know.»

«That’s bullshit and you know it. It has to be you to be always the one doing the talking or it's no good...»

«Me? Don’t make me laugh!» Bård huffed back. «It's hard to get a word in edgewise, once you start doing one of your monologues and there's just no room for anyone else to say anything,» Bård said.

«I think you’re just jealous of me getting the attention you crave,» Vegard said. «And what’s with the constant staring? It makes me uncomfortable when your eyes are glued to my fucking lips!»

«Fuck you, Vegard. I think you’re a real bastard sometimes!»

«Well fuck you too! And why do you stay with me if you hate me so much? Plus you still didn’t answer my question!» Vegard yelled.

«Maybe I should leave, I think we could use a break!» Bård yelled back.

«Why don’t you leave then?» Vegard growled.

«Because I fucking love you,» Bård screamed.

Vegard stopped in his tracks and stared at Bård.

«What did you just say?» he asked incredulously.

«I hate you and I love you,» Bård said quietly.

****

> «I love you Vegard, please wake up. I need you,» Bård’s voice echoed in Vegard’s head.
> 
> There was something funny in the way it sounded, it seemed to come from far away somehow. Vegard struggled to answer.
> 
> «Bård?» he croaked.
> 
> He could feel Bård gripping his hand.
> 
> «I need you to keep fighting it, don’t you dare give up!» Bård said, his voice tight with emotion.
> 
> «What’s wrong with me?» Vegard asked, barely audibly, but he didn’t hear Bård’s answer because he found himself in the middle of a fight.

He was wrestling with Bård on their office floor. Bård was hogging the cellphone charger again.

«Just let me have it back,» Vegard complained as he tried to reach the coveted item that Bård was dangling just mere inches from his grasp.

«In your dreams, Vegard,» Bård panted.

«I've got it now and I’m using it!» he exclaimed triumphantly.

«Why don’t you just go and buy yourself a new one?» Vegard complained.

«Money doesn’t grow on trees, dear brother, and besides, life is much more interesting this way,» he grinned as he managed to escape Vegard’s hold.

«Damn you, Bård,» Vegard wheezed.

«Serves you right,» Bård cackled and went to his own office, whistling on his way.

****

> Vegard had a hard time breathing and he realised he actually couldn’t do it at all. It was so cold, wet and dim around him, his shoulder and head hurt. The light that surrounded him was muted, like it came through a frosted glass window. There was only one sharper point of light, a bit further away from him. It had jagged edges. Vegard panicked, apparently he was under ice. Have I fallen in? He wondered. Suddenly there was an arm reaching for him. It touched his shoulder first, and after making contact a head appeared under the water to accompany the arm. It was Bård’s. In a shock upon seeing Vegard, Bård tried calling his name, but got a mouthful of water instead. He closed his mouth and reached for him, his blue eyes nailed onto Vegard’s brown ones.

«Hang on,» they seemed to say. «I will save you.»

Vegard reached for his brother and his eyes slid close.

****

> A steady beep of the machines surrounding him rang in Vegard’s ears when he opened his eyes. A pair of blue eyes met his the moment his gaze focused on anything. There was a frown on Bård’s forehead.
> 
> «What the hell, Vegard? What possessed you to walk on thin ice like that? You know better!»
> 
> «Sorry,» Vegard croaked meekly. «I was wearing a hat my wife had given me and a gust of wind blew it off my head.I just wanted to get it back...»
> 
> «Asshole! It’s just like you to do something like that, not to think of the consequences at all!»
> 
> «It’s not like I did it on purpose, Bård. And thanks for fishing me up, by the way...»
> 
> «I didn’t even know it was you at first, I just saw someone fall in. You almost gave me a heart attack when I saw you under the water,» Bård said, his voice cracking. He turned to look away to conceal his emotions.
> 
> Vegard lifted his arm to grab Bård’s wrist. His fingers curled around it and lay there, warm and solid.
> 
> «Listen, I’m sorry. For everything. I never meant to...»
> 
> Bård turned suddenly and pulled Vegard into a tight hug.
> 
> «Just promise me you’ll never...» he said, his voice muffled by Vegard’s shoulder.
> 
> «Don’t worry. I promise.»

**Author's Note:**

> Some of you might recognize that I used a bunch of otp prompts here. They're meant to be used, right? The ones I used happened to be among my favorites and what better place to use them than in flashbacks :)


End file.
